1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a curtain attachment connector used for connecting a curtain hanger member, such as a curtain runner, and a curtain and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Most curtains used in hospitals or hotels are held on a lease and they are replaced and laundered periodically. To accomplish a curtain replacement work with high efficiently, measures should be taken to facilitate the curtain attachment and detachment processes. Taking it into account, various attempts, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 40-27706 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication Nos. 57-142986 and 2-107387, have heretofore been made to facilitate attachment and detachment of a curtain relative to curtain runners mounted on a curtain guide member, such as a curtain rail or a guide bar.
For example, a curtain attachment connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 2-107387 includes a curtain attachment portion formed integrally with a curtain runner, and one of two companion male and female fastener members of a surface-type separable fastener bonded to one side of the curtain attachment portion. The fastener member is forced into and out of engagement with the other or mating fastener member which is attached to the top edge of a curtain. With the curtain attachment connector, the curtain can be easily attached to, and detached from, the curtain runner.
However, since the surface-type fastener member is formed by weaving or knitting, the disclosed curtain attachment connector can only be produced with limited efficiency and is unable to retain a desired degree of engagement force or strength. Those curtain attachment connectors disclosed in other Japanese publications also have a woven or knitted surface-type fastener member and, hence, they have the same difficulties as described above.
With the foregoing difficulties in view, the present inventor has previously proposed an improved curtain attachment connector such as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 4-104909. The improved curtain attachment connector includes a plate-like fastener member molded of synthetic resin and having on its one surface a number of hooks arranged in rows and tiers, and an attachment portion composed of two metal wires detachably engaged at their front ends to hook the attachment portion on a curtain runner, the fastener member and the attachment portion being integrally molded by injection molding.
The curtain attachment connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 4-104909 is advantageous in that since the fastener member is a molded product, the hooks of such molded fastener member, when combined with a mating fastener member, can produce an engagement forth or strength which is much greater than that produced by the hooks formed by a monofilament on the conventional woven or knitted fastener member. However, a drawback is that the metal attachment portion requires a separate manufacturing process and makes the injection molding process complicated because the metal attachment portion should be molded in the fastener member as an insert.
Taking a final form of the curtain attachment connector into consideration, the metal attachment portion must have a snap spring property and hence is made of spring steel. Such attachment portion requires a particular design consideration which leads to the corresponding increase in the production cost. On the other hand, the curtain runners are generally molded of synthetic resin and hence susceptible to abrasive wear when it is used in combination with the metal attachment portions. The synthetic resin curtain runners are, therefore, unfit for a long period of use. Furthermore, the metal attachment portion and the synthetic resin fastener member are made from different materials, so that they are not well-matched in appearance and also not suited for coloring in the same color tone. It is, therefore, desirable that whenever possible, the attachment portion and the fastener member are integrally molded of a single material.